The invention relates to an applicator for C-shaped scalp clips having two legs joined by a bridge with clamping jaws facing each other at the free front ends of the legs and with rearwardly protruding application surfaces in the region where the legs and the bridge meet, comprising two applying instruments which can be applied to the application surfaces of a scalp clip and moved towards each other to open the scalp clip, namely a movable edge and a stationary edge, further comprising a magazine in which several scalp clips can be accommodated one behind the other such that the free ends of a scalp clip rest againt the bridge of the next scalp clip, the scalp clips being displaceable by an elastic energy storing means in the longitudinal direction of the magazine towards an open end of the magazine, the applying instruments, in a first position in which they are relatively far apart, protruding downwardly and upwardly into the path of advance of the scalp clips at the open end of the magazine, and a scalp clip which has been advanced past the applying instruments coming to rest at laterally protruding edge regions adjoining the application surfaces against the applying instruments, whereas, in a second position in which they are closer together, the applying instruments press on the application surfaces of the scalp clip held by them and bend it open, and also comprising a retaining element which is simultaneously pivotable together with the movable edge and which dips into the path of advance of the scalp clips and is displaceable out of it into an open position, the retaining element being arranged before the applying instruments by approximately the length of one scalp clip and holding back that scalp clip which follows directly behind the scalp clip gripped by the applying instruments.
In a known applicator of this kind (German Pat. No. 3,405,335) a manually actuatable lever which carries the movable edge acting as applying instrument is rigidly connected to the retaining element, and, therefore, the retaining element is forced to go through all of the motions of the movable edge as well. Consequently, when the scalp clps are spread open by the movable edge and the stationary edge coacting with it as further applying instrument, the retaining element in its open position is far away from that position in which it dips into the path of advance of the scalp clips in order to hold these back. Accordingly, when a piece of tissue is clamped in the scalp clip and the applying instruments assume an intermediate position, the retaining element has not yet returned to its closed position in which it safely secures following scalp clips. This may result in faulty operation of the applicator as scalp clips can pass the retaining element and emerge from the open end of the magazine in an undesired manner.
The object of the invention is to overcome this deficiency and to so improve a generic applicator that the retaining element already assumes its locking closed position when the movable edge used as applying instrument has not yet fully returned to its position of rest.